Rays’ Kevin Cash: ‘I’m very happy here ... and look forward to next year’

ST. PETERSBURG — Rays manager Kevin Cash on Monday dismissed speculation connecting him to the open manager’s job in Cleveland.

“I’m very happy here,” Cash said. “I’m under contract here and look forward to next year, for sure.”

The chatter started with a post Friday on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) from well-connected veteran baseball writer Peter Gammons. He noted that when Terry Francona was hired to manage Cleveland before the 2013 season, he told his bosses the first person he wanted to hire as a coach was Cash. Now that Francona has stepped down, Gammons wrote, “many believe that the person Francona would like replacing him is Cash.”

Cash, 45, is signed with the Rays through the 2024 season, with a team option for 2025. Tampa Bay is likely to approach him at some point this offseason about an extension. The organization has not heard from Cleveland executives about Cash but was asked about a former Rays employee who could be a candidate.

Told by a reporter the Gammons post was causing considerable speculation, Cash said, “Is it really? Wow. I didn’t know that.”

Cash was hired for the 2015 season after Joe Maddon’s unexpected departure, signing a five-year, $5 million deal with a two-year option. The Rays restructured what was left on that deal in December 2018, signing him to what became a six-year extension worth about $10 million that runs through 2024.

The Tampa native joined the Rays after two years as Cleveland’s bullpen coach and with no previous managerial experience. He has been one of the most successful managers in the majors since, compiling a 739-617 (.545) record and leading the Rays to the postseason each of the past five years.

With Francona stepping down, Cash in 2024 would be the most tenured manager in the majors with his current team, as he will be entering his 10th season.

Rays baseball operations president Erik Neander said early in Monday’s season-ending media session that the 2023 season, given the injuries and issues the Rays faced, was Cash’s finest: “I think this is the best job he’s ever done here.”

Wondering about Wander? Rays, too

As the Rays start to plan for next season, it would help to know if a certain switch-hitting All-Star shortstop with the skills to impact games in all facets and talent to be among the game’s elite is likely to be available.

But the Rays, like Wander Franco himself, have to wait for the results of investigations by Major League Baseball and Dominican Republic authorities into allegations of inappropriate relationships with minors.

“We’re always preparing for multiple different things, right?” general manager Peter Bendix said. “And versatility is a really important part of our club. That’s going to be true in that situation, that’s going to be true in any situation. That’s how we prepare for anything unexpected — how we prepare for injuries, how we prepare for unexpected positive or negative performances, is just to have a lot of different options.”

Nor do the Rays have much to say about Franco potentially playing winter ball, which they technically have no say on.

“I don’t have anything to add there at this time,” Neander said. “We’ll let our prior comments stand up for themselves and handle the business we can control here.”

Crowd control

The low attendance at the Rays’ two home playoff games — 19,704 and 20,198, the two smallest postseason crowds (non-COVID year) since 1919 — created quite a bit of conversation nationally, with some re-raising the question about committing to a new stadium near the same site. Rays officials, mindful of their poor showing on the field, aren’t saying much about attendance beyond noting it was up 27.7% for the season.

“I think that’s a complex topic,” Neander said. “Within baseball operations, we have our own very complex topic, which is how to not be up here (on the podium) after two postseason games. Our focus is very much on that complex topic — the competitiveness of this club, winning as many games as possible.

“If we can find a way to do our job to the best of our abilities and have things go in the direction we expect them to go and eventually win a World Series, everything else will take care of itself. So, I think we have our own business to worry about.

“Our home record this year was really strong,” Neander continued. “Attendance was up 30%. We talk a lot about the course of the regular season being much more of a measuring stick than two games, so I think we’re going to stick to that kind of mentality across the board.”

Miscellany

Three players sidelined for the Wild Card Series by injury — Jason Adam (oblique strain), Brandon Lowe (broken right kneecap) and Luke Raley (cervical strain) — are all healing, Cash said, and will be fine for spring training. ... Cash said he’ll talk soon with his bosses about his coaching staff but applauded their work, noting “they did a really good job of keeping the group together.” ... Neander said the Rays “will spend a lot of time” this winter reviewing the industry-wide issue with pitcher injuries and “likely will make changes in a few areas.”

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